


Delivery

by FanFicReader01



Series: The Library Chronicles [6]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Poets of the Fall
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Books, Bromance, Drabbles, F/M, Finnish, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Marko Saaresto is basically two people in this LIbrary AU, Oneshot, Post-Apocalypse, Slice of Life, potf cameo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:15:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26104045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01
Summary: Carlos has some books to deliver to the Library of the West. Tyrell accompanies him and they meet interesting people.
Relationships: Carlos Oliveira/Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira/Tyrell Patrick
Series: The Library Chronicles [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885000
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I realise the setup is a bit similar to the Sanctuary oneshot lol  
> You don't really have to read the other stories (tho i always like to plant some worldbuilding into each oneshot) or know PoTF to understand/follow this story :D
> 
> This AU is quite far removed from any canon in both fandoms anyway xD  
> Please, enjoy some fluff in the middle of the post-apocalypse

The two mercenaries make a brief stop to check their map. The Western Library shouldn’t be too far anymore. Three days minimum, five days if they’re lucky and maybe a week if luck is against them. Carlos is checking the tank. Since the counter stopped working, he has to keep track of the gas himself. In the meantime Tyrell is marking a few spots where they can set up camp or even stay in a motel.

“Carlos, would you be up making a small detour here?”

“Wait a second, I’m coming around!” the younger merc walks around the pickup truck to meet his travel companion. Tyrell has pinpointed a slightly different route.

“If I’m lucky, this is a busier merchant route. I still need to sell like 40% of my wares and we haven’t really encountered proper customers or people at all the past few days,” the weapon seller explains. Carlos nods along. “Sure, T. If that doesn’t out, you can still try to sell some once we arrive at the Library.”

“Okay, cool. You ready?”

“Yup, jump on in.” They get into the truck and Carlos starts the engine. Not wanting to push their luck, Carlos maintains an average if not even a slow pace.

“T, please put on some music!”

“Aye, Captain,” Tyrell leans forward to the dashboard and turns on the radio. He dials through some channels until some foreign sounding music plays. It’s entertaining enough for Tyrell to hum along and Carlos to drum his fingers to the beat.

“Wish I knew what they were singing so I could properly sing along,” Tyrell mutters.

“Yeah. Maybe they say it after the song ends?”

“ _Se oli toinen suuri numero rakastetulta Anna Kokkoselta!_ _Seuraavana vuorossa on kansainvälinen laulu Lyön vetoa kaikki rakastamme._ _Myöhemmin tänään on haastattelussa tulevasta tähti joten pysy kuulolla klo Jealous Gods!_ ” the radio host says after the song is done. For a brief moment Carlos and Tyrell give each other a puzzled look. That didn’t clarify anything.

”I guess it’s Finnish.”

”You sure?”

Carlos nods. ”Yeah. I think I’ve seen some Finnish books. Still, can’t pronounce or understand anything of it.”

”Me neither. I only understood _Jealous Gods_ ,” Tyrell laughs. Then they go quiet and listen to the next song. This time, it’s an English song.

\--

On the second day they stop by at a small motel. “Shall we stop here?”

“I don’t know man, place looks a bit shady,” Tyrell glares at some of the folk hanging around the building.

“We’ve got nothing you want! Just some old, boring books!” Carlos shouts at them but gets no reaction. They decide to continue driving.

“Did you mean what you said?” Tyrell asks.

“Well, we only have books. I left out the part where we are carrying valuable artillery.”

“No, no, the part about the books. That they’re boring. To me, most of them are.”

Carlos lets out a snort as he keeps his eyes focused on the bumpy road ahead. “Nah, man. Some books are super valid. Some are just amusing. And there are books that little kids shouldn’t get their hands on.” That last addition makes the dealer raise a curious eyebrow.

“Erotica novels, T. They still exist. And there are still people writing them,” Carlos chuckles amused. “I actually got a haul. When we take our next break, I’ll give you some to read.”

Tyrell laughs out loud but goes with it.

When night falls, Tyrell is with his nose in a small booklet Carlos had given him earlier.

“Is it interesting after all?” the younger merc grins.

Tyrell waves his hand in order to hush him. “Shh, I need to know if Lord Hemingway is going to bang the Duchess Victoria.”

Carlos thuds down at the small campfire and opens up his own book. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure thing. Quite intriguing and fun to kill some slow hours with. So far he’s lasted three intense duels with werewolves. He wonders what kind of nasty situation it would be if werewolves turned into Critters. Or would they basically be Varmints? In silence, the two men continue the read. Every once in a while Tyrell lets out a snort or laugh while Carlos grunts when he choses the wrong option in his story. Once their eyes become too tired, they decide to have a final check around their camp to make sure they’re safe enough. No Spectres, no Varmints, no Critters or hostile humans around.

\--

On the third day they reach the trading route Tyrell had talked about. There’s even a market set up with several makeshift tents or real professional ones. Carlos parks his truck and helps Tyrell set-up shop. “Looks like I’ve got some competition,” the merc grunts as he sees there are more than one weapon trader out and about. “What about you, Carlos? You gonna sell something?”

“I doubt it. All these books are for the Library. But I can help you.”

“Thanks, that’s appreciated.”

There are a few potential customers nosing through Tyrell’s ware but most of them drop off at the end. Carlos had been a bit luckier and managed to trade some water bottles and food supplies for three small handguns.

“Charmer,” Tyrell grins.

“It gets the business done,” Carlos winks back.

“Watch me, now,” Tyrell huffs. He steps forward to another man who is around the same height. He is shirtless with a dark green scarf wrapped around his neck, covering a part of his chest. He sports cargo pants and his head is shaved except for the wild, messy mohawk. The guy has been eyeing their weapon stand for quite some time now.

“You look like a guy who would like to buy something to make himself feel a little bit safer out there on the road!” Upon closer inspection, this guy probably needs more than just a gun. He is pale, has baggy eyes and for a moment Tyrell wonders if the guy is or was a recent drug addict.

“Y-yeah, might be. What you got? I see so much stuff here,” the man speaks with an accent.

“Understandable, I’ve got a big arsenal. So, what would you like to have? Something heavy or easy in the hand? I got it all!” Tyrell begins walking his new customer through the motions. He ends up with giving the man with the mohawk a 10mm gun to test.

“Try if it fits comfortably in your hand and-”

“Jani Snellman! What are you doing here?” Out of nowhere another man pops up and snatches the gun out of the customer’s hand.

“Hey, careful! What are you doing, man?” Tyrell snaps offended.

The stranger adjusts his bowler hat and peers at the mercenary. “Making sure my follower doesn’t buy into this crap.”

“This ‘crap’ is valuable and could safe your life!” Tyrell hisses, clearly getting pissed off now.

The man in the hat huffs and grabs Jani’s wrist and pulls him away from the stand as if he’s a child that needs to be corrected. It’s almost a hilarious sight if Tyrell didn’t need the money and extra supplies.

“Follower? Are you some cult?”

“We call ourselves Peacekeepers and I am their leader,” the man clarifies. Tyrell can’t suppress his laugh.

“And how are you going to do that? This is the wasteland, man.”

“First of all, by not buying weapons of war,” the leader of the cult faintly smirks as if he’s so clever.

Tyrell crosses his arms and smirks back. “Oh, really? Then how are you going to protect yourself from the Critters and the crazy gunmen, hm? You going to pray to them?”

“No. We try to avoid unnecessary violence as much as we can. Instead, we believe in empathy and compassion and the power of words.”

“Then you’re delusional. Sometimes you just have to pull a trigger to survive,” Tyrell sighs. Now he almost feels sorry for these people. Cults, he’s never been a fan of them.

“We understand that too, alas. Still, we try to avoid using fire weapons. One way, is limiting our access to them,” the leader counters. Then he reaches into his cape and gets out a simple gun.

“We sell those too. If you want to trade yourself,” Tyrell tries.

The man with the bowler hat seems to consider, Jani still standing obediently besides him. “Very well then. What deals do you offer.” _Bingo_. The two men end up exchanging a few small fire weapons and a combat knife for some coins, spare ammo the Peacekeepers found along the way and apparently a book with poems. Tyrell had wondered if the book had any value but his friend Carlos comes in-between to confirm the value. “This will be a beautiful addition to the Library!”

“Oh, are you a Messenger?” the Peacekeeper leader asks, suddenly more interested.

Carlos smiles. “Nah, I’m just a delivery boy. A merc, actually, who likes to make himself useful.”

“That’s a noble goal. May I ask which Library you are headed then?”

“I have to visit the Western one.”

“Oh, I’ve heard great stories from there. We ourselves are headed to the North. Alright, it’s time for Jani and me to join the rest of our group. Safe travels you two. May your peace be kept.”

“Thanks, you too!” Carlos waves them after while Tyrell is already trying to get another customer buy his ware. Once he’s successfully exchanged an axe for coins, he turns to the book merc.

“Those were an odd bunch if you ask me.”

Carlos scratches the back of his head and shrugs his shoulders. “They seemed nice. Wouldn’t say they’re really a cult, though.”

“You have to be extra aware for the nice ones,” Tyrell points out. “Alright, I think we’re done for today. Will you help me pack up?”

“Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Google translate is my best friend:  
>  _Se oli toinen suuri numero rakastetulta Anna Kokkoselta! Seuraavana vuorossa on kansainvälinen laulu Lyön vetoa kaikki rakastamme. Myöhemmin tänään on haastattelussa tulevasta tähti joten pysy kuulolla klo Jealous Gods! _= That was another great number from our beloved Anna Kokkonen! Next up is an international song I bet you will all love. Later today I will have an interview with an upcoming star so stay tuned at Jealous Gods__  
>  The host of this show will be revealed in another story! PoTF fans might know who it will be ;)
> 
> __  
> _Jealous Gods = a reference to one of PoTF's Songs_  
>  Peacekeepers = a reference to the song The Ballad of Jeremiah Peacekeeper ;)
> 
> Also just to ramble on about this AU in general, I liked the idea of Carlos taking on a less 'violent' job and thus i decided him to be a merc who travels around delivering books to libraries and making sure the cargo stays safe :) That way, there are still some links to the canon but not entirely :P


	2. Chapter 2

“You can park the car at the backdoor,” a sturdy looking guy informs them upon arrival. “The Librarian will be with you two soon.”

“Thanks,” Carlos drives the truck to the back of the large building. It must’ve been a church in the old days. Large stained glasses filter the light from the outside to within, giving the inside almost a magical appearance. This is the first time Carlos has visited a Library of such size. It’s impressive, really. Even Tyrell, who usually isn’t much for architecture and the fine arts, is intrigued. While Carlos parks the car as practically as possible a woman appears at the door. She is wearing a desaturated blue tank top with a red flannel plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves on top of it. Her, brown almost shoulder length hair is combed to her left side. She wears a bright, smile on her face. She gets up to the truck and Carlos rolls down his window to meet her.

“Glad you could make it on time. You must be Carlos, the delivery guy?”

“Yup, that’s me. And next to me is my buddy and partner in crime, Tyrell.”

“Howdy,” Tyrell jokes and tips his imaginary cowboy hat.

“Great. I’m Jill Valentine. I’m the Librarian. Come with me, I’ll show you were you can stack the orders.”

“Thanks!” Carlos and Tyrell get out of the truck and follow Jill inside. She guides them to a smaller room where multiple boxes are filling the metal shelves.

“You can put most boxes here. The ones that are labelled yellow should go to the counter over there.”

“Got it! Impressive Library you got,” Carlos notes. Jill laughs and it does something to the young merc’s heart. It’s similar to the feeling he felt when he realised Tyrell was more than a friend to him. 

“Thank you. It becomes less impressive when you stay longer,” the Librarian chuckles. She walks back with them to the truck.

“Tyrell and I can do this ourselves,” Carlos states.

Jill rolls her eyes. “I can help. In fact, I insist.” The merc looks at Tyrell for a second before they let her onto the pickup as well. Everyone takes a carton box and goes back inside.

“Those weapons all belong to you?” Jill asks.

“Nah, they’re mine. I just tagged along. Maybe could do some business here too, if allowed,” Tyrell answers.

“As long as you keep it at selling, I don’t see a problem with that. After all, the Rules don’t prohibit such actions.”

Tyrell grins. “Well, I’m basically sharing information and knowledge too.”

Some unpacking later, Jill turns to Carlos and asks him about the books. “You read some of them too?”

“I sure did. Have to know my wares,” he replies with a wink.

“What did you think of them?”

“Man, there were so many different genres. Give me one and I’ll answer more in depth,” the merc says as he starts unloading the last few boxes. He hands Jill a smaller box with a yellow label.

“Hmm…What did you think of the new informational books on animals?”

“They were fun, most of the time. Pictures often tell me more than words,” Carlos admits. “Even T over here liked some of them.”

Tyrell laughs and nods. “By the way, those erotica novels were funny to read, though. Do people actually read these for reals? Like in all seriousness?”

“Some do, yes,” Jill says.

Carlos takes his chance. “Are you one of them?”

“Maybe,” she mysteriously answers. She puffs as she puts the box down and wipes away some sweat of her brow with the back of her hand. “If you guys don’t mind, I’m taking a quick break.”

“Fine by me,” Tyrell says as he’s already walking back to the truck.

“You two need a drink? We’ve got some cold beer.” That makes the older man turn around in approval before heading outside. Carlos agrees and joins the weapon dealer. When they come back with the last heavy boxes, Jill meets them at the main counter of Library with two bottles. Happily the two men grab their beers.

“Thanks for bringing all those books here. A few of them were very popular by demand.”

“Were it those novellas?” Tyrell smirks.

“No, some old world classics. And actually a lot of bilingual dictionaries. Seems like most people want to connect with more people all over the world,” Jill seriously replies.

“Hm, cool. I’m actually bilingual. Even more than that,” Carlos boasts a bit. Jill sips from her beer and gives the merc a curious look.

“English, Portuguese, French, Arabic and even a bit of Japanese!”

“ _Quelle coincidence! Je parle français aussi et ma mère est originaire du Japon,_ ” Jill playfully replies.

Carlos decides to play along and adds: “ _Nihongo mo wakarimasu ka_?”

Jill gets flustered and almost chokes on her beer before responding: “ _Hon'nosukoshidake_.”

“Don’t mind me,” Tyrell snorts as he watches the scene unfold. “ _Mais ne vous inquiétez pas_. I speak French _un peu_.” Then they all laugh together before Tyrell sums up the languages he knows.

“I’m most familiar with English and Dutch. Used to speak French a lot more but that kind of watered down once I was around English speaking folk most of the time.”

“Maybe you should pick up one of them dictionaries,” Carlos teases his partner.

“So where are you two headed after this?” Jill wonders.

The younger merc shrugs his shoulders. “If you need books from here taken elsewhere, sign me up! Else, I’ll roam around other Libraries. See if I can make myself useful.”

Jill hums and shoots a glance at Tyrell.

“I might follow him around. And else we’ll go separate ways, once more. I often look more for conflicting areas,” he says.

“Hmm, hm, I see. If you need to rest a bit longer, feel welcome. We got a few beds installed in the some of the upper rooms. And Carlos, I’ll think about it. I should check my listing later today and then I’ll tell you. If you don’t mind, I’m going back to work now.”

“Fine by us.”

As Jill walks over to a visitor who seems a bit lost, Carlos roams around in the Library while Tyrell goes outside, try to sell some more gear. When the evening inches closer, the mercenaries are still around and Jill invites them for a campfire dinner.

“Count yourselves lucky. This is a monthly event.”

The campfire is huge. Maybe forty people or more are gathered outside the Library. Jill and a few other people have brought their own food and are now sharing it with the rest. Carlos and Tyrell plop down next to the Librarian. “Oh shucks, should we’ve brought something as well?”

The woman shakes her head and gives another warming smile. “It’s alright. There’s enough already. And else it might be a waste of food.”

“This seems like a great community,” Carlos observes.

“Kind of. Though many people I only see once before they head off to god knows where. But yeah, those who stick around become good folk to be with.”

“Peaceful,” Carlos sighs. On the road it can be less quiet.

“Too peaceful for my taste,” Tyrell huffs. “But I enjoy this too, from time to time.”

“If you want to stay here and still use those weapons of yours, you can become a guard,” Jill informs.

Tyrell chuckles and shakes his head. “Thank you for the offer but I decline. I’d probably get bored too quickly.”

“He likes danger,” Carlos grins.

“As if you don’t?” Tyrell jokingly pokes his friend, causing him to almost let the plate with his dinner drop to the sand.

“I think I could settle down someday,” the younger man blurts out, fake offended.

“I get you, Tyrell, though. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t a Librarian,” Jill confesses to them before taking a bite out of some steak.

“Oh, how come?” the Brazilian merc asks.

The woman clenches some of her plaid shirt and sighs: “Something bad happened. But I’d rather not focus on that today.”

“Oh, okay. Cool. But being a Librarian, you must mee ta lot of interesting people, no?” Carlos tries to steer the conversation to hopefully a positive direction. That question seems to work as Jill brighten up a little. Happily she tells her about some experiences she’s had the last couple of weeks. Some were funny, others more serious and some people had been downright weird.

The trio continues to chatter away, sharing travelling stories and cracking some light-hearted jokes. The food and snacks are severely enjoyed and then Jill gets up to start cleaning. Carlos and Tyrell decide to help her once more before they all head back into the Library to take a deserved sleep. When Carlos closes his eyes that night, he smiles. Now he’s definitely glad he became a book delivery guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quelle coincidence! Je parle français aussi et ma mère est originaire du Japon = What a coincidence! I also speak French and my mother is from Japan!  
> Nihongo mo wakarimasu ka? = So do you also understand Japanese?  
> Hon'nosukoshidake = Just a bit  
> Mais ne vous inquiétez pas. I speak French un peu. = Don't you worry, I speak French. A little
> 
> It was fun to implement some different languages in this fic hahaha >:) The pro of having a multinational cast hehe (also sorry if that translation is wacky, google translate be my friend in these trying, lazy times)


End file.
